4.6 Thinking as Someone Else

CONNECTION Reading a book is like getting to know a new person. We learn about the characters bit by bit. It can be a long process! You can learn a lot about a character based on their choices. Someone said Bud was a bad kid because he skipped school. Someone else said that he was in the Great Depression, so he probably didn’t go to school and was actually acting very adult and trying to take care of himself.

TEACHING POINT When readers get to know the characters, we step into the period in which they live and we try to see the world through their eyes.

TEACHING Ask why characters might respond they way they do. In Bud, Not Buddy the cops are trying to stop people from getting on the train. The crowd keeps getting bigger and bigger. I couldn’t understand why the crowd didn’t see the cops, realize that they would be breaking the law, and turn around to go home. They’re not allowed on the train. So why risk getting in trouble? It’s not ok to break the law! Then I realized that these people have no jobs, no homes, no food. They’re angry! Cops are probably responsible for evicting them from their homes and destroying the Hoovervilles. And now the cops want to stop them from getting on the train to find work somewhere else. Feeding your family is more important than following the law.

TEACHING I noticed that some people respond to the same situation differently, sometimes because of age or culture, or political differences. “All these people,” the mouth organ man said, “are just like you, they’re tired, hungry and a little bit nervouse about tomorrow. This here is the right place for y’all to be ‘cause we’re all in the same boat. And you boys are nearer to home than you’ll ever get.” Someone said, “Amen, brother.” The mouth organ man said, “It don’t matter if you’re looking for Chicago or Detroit or Orlando or Oklahoma City, I rode the rails to all of them. You might think or you might hear that things are better just down the line, but they’re singing the same sad song all over this country. Believe me, son, being on the road is no good. If you two boys are from Flint, this is the right Hooverville for you.”

TEACHING I noticed that some people respond to the same situation differently, sometimes because of age or culture, or political differences. “All these people,” the mouth organ man said, “are just like you, they’re tired, hungry and a little bit nervous about tomorrow. This here is the right place for y’all to be ‘cause we’re all in the same boat. And you boys are nearer to home than you’ll ever get.” Someone said, “Amen, brother.” The mouth organ man said, “It don’t matter if you’re looking for Chicago or Detroit or Orlando or Oklahoma City, I rode the rails to all of them. You might think or you might hear that things are better just down the line, but they’re singing the same sad song all over this country. Believe me, son, being on the road is no good. If you two boys are from Flint, this is the right Hooverville for you.” Some people want to take a chance on riding the train to somewhere else in the hopes that they’ll find work. This means standing up to the police! Other people think it’s too risky or life on the road is not for everyone (like Deza Malone and her mother.)

TEACHING Everyone reacts differently based on their personal history. What do you think a father with three young kids would do? What do you think a single man would do? What do you think the mother would do? What do you think an orphan would do? What do you think a person with an elderly parent would do?

LINK Sometimes how we would react is not how characters react because we have to remember what our characters are living through, what kind of world they are in, and what kinds of places in that world the characters inhabit. We have to push ourselves to ask, “Why would my character react that way?”

Will’s reaction to sick pets vs my reaction to sick pets Will’s reaction to sick pets vs my reaction to sick pets. These are based on our backgrounds!

MIDWORKSHOP Characters behavior may be shaped by history and by their own personalities. Think about Bud with Left Louis. Would any of you have started talking to a stranger at 2:30 in the morning by the side of the road? Yes, it was a different time period where people helped each other out, like the people at the Hooverville helped Bud and the people in line at the mission, but Bud also seems to be pretty trusting. Think about how he believed Todd about the other kids in the shed never being found. He seems like he’s a little bit too trusting! So read on, thinking about how it can be history and personality that shapes character responses!

SHARE Your books are tough! Try focusing on small moments of the story and really studying them to help you understand the whole story. It’s ok to disagree—politely! It can help to say, “That may be true, but I see it differently,” or “Another way of thinking about that is… What moment would you like to study tomorrow?